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Starkey Wilderness Preserve The Starkey Wilderness Preserve is one of the largest undeveloped tracts in Pasco County and protects sensitive environmental areas in the fastgrowing western portion of Pasco County. The Preserve is composed of three tracts: • J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park • Serenova Tract • Anclote River Tract Size 18,000 acres Location Western Pasco County, east of New Port Richey About the Property The Preserve is the culmination of foresight and cooperative spirit of individuals and governmental agencies working to carry forth “one man’s dream.” The park is named after Jay B. Starkey, Sr., who purchased the land in 1937 and then developed a cattle ranch and timber operation. In 1975, Mr. Starkey donated several hundred acres to the District, initiating the concept of permanently protecting the land and its resources for future generations. The J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park is a regional park managed by Pasco County that features a paved trail that connects to the 42-mile Suncoast Paved Trail, picnic shelters, hiking, biking and equestrian trails, a primitive campground and camping cabins. The Serenova and Anclote River Ranch tracts are managed by SWFWMD for passive nature-based outdoor recreation activities. These tracts have limited amenities and provide visitors a more rustic outdoor experience. The Serenova Tract is a favorite for horseback riding with trails that wind through all of the major natural communities on the Preserve. Primitive equestrian and backcountry camping is also available at Serenova. The Anclote River Ranch Tract can be accessed from the hiking trails in J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park and provide visitors the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the Preserve with little sign of human presence. No trails are marked on the Anclote River Ranch Tract, but visitors can hike on the unimproved trails. The prominent natural communities within Preserve are pine flatwoods, cypress domes, freshwater marshes, stream and lake swamps, sandhill and scrub. The 2,300 acres of wetland communities in Serenova combine with the wetlands in Starkey Wilderness Park to form a connected 6,000-acre wetland ecosystem spread throughout approximately 18,000 acres of conservation lands. Public acquisition of these lands has maintained this large wetland system as a functioning intact ecosystem. This vast network of scattered wetlands become interconnected during periods of high water levels and serve as vital life cycle linkages for many wetlanddependent species. Like many District properties, the Preserve serves as a natural buffer for one of the region’s main freshwater resources, the Pithlachascotee River. The lands protect water quality by acting as a natural filter of surfacewater as it flows across the landscape into the Pithlachascotee River and its main tributary, the Anclote River. The Preserve also serves as a recharge area for a regional wellfield operated by Tampa Bay Water that is an essential component of the multi-county water supply system that supplies drinking water to the greater Tampa Bay area. Another less visible benefit of these lands is the vital link they play in assuring that the Gulf of Mexico receives the clean freshwater that is needed to maintain the long term health of the coastal estuaries. Without a source of clean freshwater, the estuaries could not serve as the vital link in the life cycle of numerous species of birds, aquatic plants such as seagrass and popular fish species such as redfish, sea trout and mullet. Recreational Opportunities On the following pages, see individual profiles for the J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park and Serenova Tract . Nearby Recreation Lands Suncoast Trail Recreation Guide to Southwest Florida Water Management District Lands 102
52 DAT G P 587 De Cubellis Rd. River Crossing Blvd. Starkey Blvd. 587 C P Ridge Rd. Moon Lake Rd. Pithlachascotee River J. B. Starkey Wilderness Park P Anclote River Cross Cypress Branch P Serenova Tract Suncoast Parkway and Trail Little Rd. 1 Anclote River Ranch Tract 589 54 N 0 2 scale in miles Starkey Wilderness Preserve Legend highway, major roads minor roads walk-thru access point & parking PASCO CO. unimproved road, or trail property boundary (SWFWMD) C P cabin camping primitive camping General Location other public lands paved park road county line river, stream lake, pond forested wetlands/swamps powerlines Recreation Guide to Southwest Florida Water Management District Lands 103
Page 1 and 2:
March 2007 Update
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Introduction Every year more than 2
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Recreational Opportunities Availabl
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Equestrian Use Viewing the pine fla
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Hunting Over 131,000 acres of Distr
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Guidelines for Use of District Land
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Do your part to preserve our great
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Keysville Rd. To SR 60 676 39 Alafi
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P To Brandon Creek Poley 60 Willow
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To Homosassa Springs Knuckey Rd. Ch
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To Citrus Park To Pinellas Co. Lake
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582 Keystone Rd. Old Keystone Rd. B
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77 To Palm Harbor Canal Park 584 T
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Murdock 41 Myakka 776 777 Myakka St
Page 29 and 30:
Crystal River State Buffer Preserve
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Lakeland 570 540 Banana Creek Banan
Page 33 and 34:
Park Trail Lane Alligator Creek Cl
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abandoned railroad 583 Cypress Cree
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To Arcadia Kings Hwy. 769 SW Peace
Page 39 and 40:
Coker Duette Park To Bradenton Rive
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To Wimauma Gilley Creek Oak Knoll R
Page 43 and 44:
To Brandon 60 To Bartow Turkey Cree
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Gum Slough 470 To US 41 Inverness
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575 98 301 Lacoochee R HERNANDO CO.
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Levee k PASCO CO. SUMTER CO. Withla
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Carter Island Rd. To SR 50, Mascott
Page 53 and 54: 575 98 Lacoochee Withlacoochee Stat
Page 55 and 56: River MARION CO. SUMTER CO. Gum Slo
Page 57 and 58: Rolling Ranches To US 41 Dunnellon
Page 59 and 60: Lake To Sebring Josephine 17 Lake J
Page 61 and 62: Huckleberry Rd. To US Hwy. 17 Daven
Page 63 and 64: Exit 329 Jones Creek Trail To Inver
Page 65 and 66: 674 Ruskin 41 1st St.. SW 75 Little
Page 67 and 68: Recreation Guide to Southwest Flori
Page 69 and 70: Bullfrog Creek Branch To U.S. 301 W
Page 71 and 72: 75 Exit 270 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. 58
Page 73 and 74: To U.S. 301 Hillsborough River G Hi
Page 75 and 76: 581 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Exit 270 F
Page 77 and 78: River Hillsborough River inlet Flin
Page 79 and 80: Hillsborough River Morris Bridge Rd
Page 81 and 82: Main Trail Hillsborough River Baysh
Page 83 and 84: Trout Creek Morris Bridge Park Trou
Page 85 and 86: North Plat Trail North Plat Trail M
Page 87 and 88: Bruce B. Downs Blvd. 581 Flatwoods
Page 89 and 90: T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Rese
Page 91 and 92: Boggy Creek Coker Creek Ogleby Cree
Page 93 and 94: 72 Myakka River State Park SARASOTA
Page 95 and 96: River Rd. 41 41 Big Slough SARASOTA
Page 97 and 98: To SR 44 470 315 Withlacoochee Aban
Page 99 and 100: CITRUS CO. Tsala Apopka Outfall Can
Page 101 and 102: 769 Charlotte Loop Caloosa Trail De
Page 103: To Bradenton To Tampa 275 Pinellas
Page 107 and 108: To SR 52 587 River To New Port Rich
Page 109 and 110: To Bayonet Point 52 DAT G 579 Moon
Page 111 and 112: Fowler Ave. 582 275 Temple Terrace
Page 113 and 114: Tampa Bay Bishop Harbor Bishop Harb
Page 115 and 116: CITRUS CO. MARION CO. 39 Withlacooc
Page 117 and 118: To Dade City 35A Green Swamp - West
Page 119 and 120: Rd. Chassahowitzka Wildlife Managem
Page 121 and 122: To River Rd. Auton Rd. Withlacooche
Page 123 and 124: To SR 44 Carlson 300 Look for Sign
Page 125 and 126: Equestrian Trailer Parking and Hors
Page 127: Map Reference Project 1 Alafia Rive
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